1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information indicator disposed at a fixed position of a vehicle body to transmit a variety of information to a driver. Particularly, the invention pertains to a vehicle corner indicator that is provided on a fender marker or a corner pole of a car to help the driver to discern the side position of the car, a warning indicator provided on an exterior mirror of the car to warn the driver of an approaching obstacle or the like, or a warning indicator fitted to a high mounted brake light or the like to warn the driver of an object approaching from behind the car. Moreover, the inventive device contains different colors of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and is able to emit a light of a desired color to impart different information to the driver based on the color of emitted light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a vehicle corner indicator, such as a fender marker or a corner pole, is attached near a leading end of a right or left fender of a car for the purpose of enabling a driver to detect a car body side or a clearance between the car body and an exterior object. Such a corner indicator has a main body made of a transparent or translucent resin and a light source, e.g., a small bulb, contained inside the main body. Otherwise, light from a lamp is supplied to the corner indicator via an optical fiber. At night, the corner indicator is illuminated by the light source, thereby helping the driver discern the correct position of the car body side or improve the visibility of the driver.
The conventional car corner indicator enables the driver to detect the side position of the car body, thereby improving his or her ability to estimate the clearance between the car and an object located beside the car. However, in a recent highly-developed information-oriented society, a variety of information transmitting functions tend to be requested for cars. Thus, it is desirable to add various functions to the car corner indicator. The position where the fender marker or corner pole is located is particularly readily observed by the driver who watches the front of the car while driving. It is useful if such a position is given various information transmitting functions.
It is known to provide a warning means, such as a warning lamp or the like, on an instrument panel or meter panel of the car for visually notifying the driver of troubles or abnormalities by light. However, the driver typically watches the front of the car through a windshield when driving the car forward and watches a back side, as well as the front of the car, when parking the car in a garage or the like. Accordingly, if the conventional warning lamp is lit, it is difficult for the driver to see such a warning as soon as possible. Therefore, it is more convenient if the fender marker or other parts of the car that are more easily seen as described above, is provided with a similar warning function to that of the conventional warning lamp.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. (Kokai) 7-169762 discloses an approach warning indicator. This technique relates to a car mounted sensor for detecting an approaching object and its accompanying device. The device includes a pyroelectric infrared sensor provided at a side of a rear view mirror of the car. It detects a human body on a motorbike or the like who is approaching from the right or left of the car or from behind the car, when he or she enters an infrared detecting zone, thereby sounding an alarm for the driver. Particularly, the device can notify and warn the driver of the presence of a rider on a motorbike, for example, that comes inside a blind spot of the vehicle, thereby assuring the safety of the rider of the motorbike.
This sensor and its accompanying device can auditorily inform the driver that a heat emitting body, such as the human body, is approaching from behind or stopping behind the car, thereby attracting the attention of the driver. However, it uses an infrared sensor for detecting the object, so that it cannot detect an object that does not emit heat. For example, it cannot detect an obstacle such as a gutter or a fence located at right or left side of a road. Moreover, the device auditorily draws attention of the driver by the alarm sound or the like, so that, when it is noisy around the car, it is difficult for the driver to recognize the sound. The driver frequently watches a rear side of the car through the rear view mirror during driving. Thus, if a structure is provided near the rear view mirror to give a visual information of the obstacle at the side of the car, the driver's attention will be drawn attention more efficiently and easily to acknowledge the obstacle.
In recent years, there has been proposed a device that has a distance sensor for measuring a distance between the car body and an object around it. It measures the distance to visually inform the driver of such distance, thereby improving his or her ability to sense the relative position of the car side. However, the driver may not notice the information if his or her attention is drawn by the surroundings when of parking, even if he or she is notified of the distance information when the distance becomes a fixed value.
A rear detecting and ranging system is known as a conventional abnormal approach warning indicator. The system informs the driver of an existence of an obstacle behind the car or a distance between the car and the obstacle, when backing the car for parking or the like. For example, if the distance between the car and the obstacle becomes a set value or less, the system sounds a predetermined alarm to draw the attention of the driver.
Such a system can auditorily give information of the obstacle behind the car to the driver when backing the car to attract his or her attention. However, it is possible that it is hard for the driver to hear the alarm sound due to noises around the car. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a means for warning the driver of the obstacle behind the car in place of or in addition to the auditory warning. The driver usually watches the rear of the car through a rear windshield when backing the car. Therefore, if the information about the obstacle behind the car is given visually where the driver is more likely to be looking during backing of the car, it is possible to draw the attention of the driver more efficiently and facilitate his or her notification of the obstacle.